Chris Symon has continued his perfect run in the 2018/19 Hi-Q Components NZ Formula First Championship, taking race four of the championship and further extending his points lead.
The pole-sitting Symon didn’t have it easy, however, as the increased effect of the draft saw up to seven cars all in tow down both straights and often going four-wide into turn one.
The first slip up of the race came at the hairpin on the opening lap when Nathan Sudiono, Barry Holden, Kyan Davie and Louis Redshaw all came together. While both Davie and Holden were unable to finish the race, both cars escaped without major damage. The incident caused a safety car which bunched the field up, reinvigorating the battle for the lead of the restart.
On the final drag to the flag, a high-speed accident involving Billy Frazer and Taylor Hurst saw the race red flag as the chequered fell. Frazer ended up spinning across the track and Hurst too lost control of his car in avoidance and found himself heading front-on into the inside wall at high speeds.
Chris Symon would cross the line first, exactly one-tenth ahead of Brody McConkey. Thomas Boniface finished third on track but a penalty for his part in the Frazer/Hurst crash moved him back to tenth in the final results. Reece Hendl-Cox then inherited third ahead of Amy Smith and Liam Foster.
Ron Carter scored an impressive sixth ahead of Ronan Murphy, Dave Scammell, Bob Dillow and Boniface in tenth. Liam Nicholson took 11th, with Andrew Tierney 12th while Billy Frazer limped across the line to take 13th ahead of Taylor Hurst who finished 14th, just skating over the line.
Nathan Sudiono, who finished ninth was penalised for his part in the lap one incident and was classified 15th. Rob Baker, Louis Redshaw, Barry Holden, Kyan Davie and Flynn Mullany all failed to finish.
Photo: Tayler Burke